Artist Statement

One of my principal concerns in the development of my work has been my occupation with producing objects that bear my personal signature. There may seem to be a dichotomy between the objects that I create, which have a strong classical basis, and this statement but, the truth is that the techniques I use to create these objects have been the result of a personal development that is completely my own. There also seems to be apparent differences in the kind and number of objects I create and what might appear to be an eclectic body of work, which is in reality part of my basic philosophy of art, "that meaningful content in a work of art is relative to the work itself and not to its precedents or its antecedents." Ideas develop from other ideas, as do technical innovations, but the individual work has an existence of its own and although historical references may be important to an historical perspective of the artist, the individual object exists as an independent entity. The principal guiding factor in my search for a clay identity has been my desire to create something new and original. Love of the beautiful object is also an inherent part of my artistic endeavors and sometimes the quest to create an ' original ' work may be put aside in the desire to make an object that is universal in character without individual fingerprints. That is perhaps why there is this apparent dichotomy.

My love of clay as an expressive material, with its innate ability to create any and all other materials, its ability to reinvent itself every time it is touched, has endowed my life with a richness and completeness that few people seem to achieve in their lifetimes. My hope is that this richness and completeness is reflected in the work and this spirit is transferred to the viewer.